The former Massachusetts governor, who polls show widening his lead over his rival in Florida, accused the former House speaker of “finding excuses everywhere he can” and likened him to President Barack Obama.

“He’s on TV this morning going from station to station complaining about what he thinks were the reasons he thinks he’s had difficulty here in Florida,” Romney told an audience of roughly 2,000 at an outdoor rally. “But you know, we’ve got a president who has a lot of excuses, and the excuses are over, it’s time to produce.”

Gingrich, lacking any important surrogates to get out on the campaign trail with him to promote him and defend him, is relying on the surrogate whiners. Fred Thompson has joined Sarah Palin as one of Gingrich’s best complainers as reported by Epstein at Politico Live:

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) on Sunday attacked Mitt Romney for “unseemliness and overkill” in his aggressive campaign against Newt Gingrich, the candidate Thompson has endorsed.

Romney’s “modus operandi, basically, is to play Mr. Nice Guy until somebody gets close to him,” Thompson said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And then he unleashes his attack machine. And that’s what happened in Iowa and it’s what’s happening in Florida.”

Gingrich has to be in his hotel room tonight thinking to himself, “Is this the best Fred can do for me? Come on Fred! Get out here on the campaign trail and drive home my message! Help me get some votes!”

Fred is only doing what Newt is doing: Whining and complaining.

I followed the Fred Thompson presidential campaign closely four years ago. He was constantly criticized in the press for appearing to be lazy. Think about it. What do lazy people do? They complain and they whine all the time.

Finally, I could list 50 ironies surrounding Newt Gingrich. Let’s just take a few here. What happens when Gingrich passes Governor Romney in the polls or wins a primary? Gingrich gloats and tells the world he is going to be the nominee. Governor Romney stays on message, works even harder, and drives forward.

What happens when Gingrich falls behind? Governor Romney stays on message, works even harder, and drives forward. Gingrich complains and whines as if he is about to cry.

And who is dishonest? Romney immediately corrects those who misrepresent his record. Gingrich tells the world that he offered up “mutual friends” to ABC to show that he never wanted to be a swinger in his marriage and then later quietly admits that he lied and that there never were any such friends (which, by the way, CNN did not call him out on in the very next debate! — he gets another pass by the liberal MSM). Last week he ran a Spanish language ad that lied about Governor Romney’s immigration policy and Gingrich was forced to pull it when Senator Rubio publicly demanded it. I could list many more of these Gingrich character flaws and his serial lying — space does not allow. Who is dishonest?

George Will — that conservative intellectual that you know Gingrich would love to have in his brilliant back pocket, right? Here is what George had to say about Gingrich yesterday on ABC’s “This Week” (click here to watch the 56-second video clip) — I just love poetry!

“I don’t know if you have ever told Longfellow’s nursery rhyme to your 4-year-old daughter, Alice,” Will said to Tapper, reciting:

There is a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead,
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
When she was bad,
She was horrid.

“We’re at the horrid stage with Newt Gingrich,” Will concluded.

Gingrich is unable to support or defend his own history — his own record — his own rhetoric — his own policies. So what does Gingrich do? Deflect!

Deflection by flattery (“Wolf, you and I have been friends for many years and now I am going to slam you . . .”). Deflection by lying and hope nobody checks the facts. Deflection by complaining. Deflection by whining. Deflection by filibuster (changing the subject by pontification). Deflection by lecture (“I will tell you how it really was”).

Irony: Gingrich slams capitalism, shoulder to shoulder with the Occupiers.

And my last two ironies for now:

The Sarah Palin Lackey: Gingrich wants us all to think he is so smart. Ironic. Need I say more?

Herman Cane Endorsement: The ultimate irony. Need I say more?

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.” — Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1865 – Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address)

California suffered many large and devastating wildfires in the Fall of 2007. San Diego County was no exception. In fact the scale and number of fires there were unprecedented.

This Los Angeles Times web page lists many very good articles that describe the human tragedies as well as the enormous property damage sustained during this “fire season” as we describe it in our state. Another article describes how many victims found relief and solace in their faith.

This news item describes the some of the impacts following the 2007 San Diego area fires.

During this time, it seemed like all of California could burn away as we were experiencing wildfires in all counties surrounding our home. This was almost exactly four years ago and the presidential race was in full swing, as it is today.

I remember receiving a tip to a story of someone’s home that needed a tree stump removed — the result of a tree that had been badly burned during one of San Diego’s wildfires. Several men responded to the need by organizing and working hard for a few hours to remove the deeply rooted tree trunk. One of those that showed up for the needed work was Governor Romney. He and his son Matt worked alongside a few other men to get the job done.

That story is as impressive to me today as it was when I first heard it. Nobody from the press or media was ever present and, as far as I can recall, this story was never publicized in any major news outlets.

Contrast this little service project with the many we witness every year by politicians that work the soup lines or other charity events at which they know there will be numerous reporters and cameras. The soup lines in particular always annoy me in a big way. The people in line are the most poverty stricken among us and aside from their obvious need for sustenance, they have a natural need for dignity. Exposure to television cameras serves only to diminish human dignity in a setting like those.

In the case of the tree stump removal, obviously Governor Romney did not do the service for notoriety or media exposure, as there were none. There is no question in my mind that such hard, manual labor would be cathartic during an intense and grueling presidential campaign. So there is a good chance Governor Romney needed the break, the exercise, and the stress release anyway.

The service provided by these men is best described in this short YouTube by the brother of the woman that lived in the home with the tree stump (posted almost exactly four years ago today):

Few people know that Governor Romney received (as I recall) $1.00 every year in compensation when he served as governor and for three years after he took the helm of the 2002 Olympics turn-around “service project” — which, by the way was a tremendously enormous responsibility (I believe he also was paid $1.00/year when he was asked to come back to Bain to turn it around). Think about it: He inherited a $379 million deficit in 1999 and during the time he was chief executive, the world’s worst terrorist event occurred. In addition to turning around a failed project, dealing with a corrupt international Olympics entity, he instantly had a mandate to guarantee that no terror event would interrupt the Games. Many experts felt the Games should be cancelled for practical and safety concerns. Governor Romney ignored those suggestions and drove the team to an astounding success — one of the most successful Games in history [please fact check me!]. Oh, and he delivered a $100 million profit/surplus after it was over! This story, that Governor Romney refers to as a footnote, is nothing short of extraordinary IN EVERY WAY.

Now, what would have happened if Gingrich were given the very same responsibility with a failed Olympics project? He would have demanded a huge salary, #1. The team he inherited would have quit after the first week, #2. The next team he brought in would likely quit a few weeks later and tell the media how hard it is to work with the man, #3. This last one is only my opinion and I own it: When September 11th happened and Gingrich heard the cries to cancel, he would have quit with a large deficit in place. Remember, he is an ideas guy, not an execution guy — he is not an executive.

The cynical have nothing good to say about Governor Romney or his actions. That’s fine:They are wrong. His many years of selfless service are proved out by his talent, skill, art, and experience in turnaround executive leadership. No current presidential candidate compares, even to a small degree.

Compare Mitt Romney any day to Newt Gingrich, whose life for the last 20+ years has been 100% devoted to self-aggrandizement and self-promotion.

“I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Looks like the Main Stream Media is carrying President Obama’s water again. Since much of the media wants to re-elect President Obama, and Newt Gingrich has more baggage than the airlines, it’s not difficult at all to figure out why Newt is getting a free pass. Newt’s campaign is being virtually kept afloat by one billionaire (who might be doing some shady things in Nevada, but that’s for another story) and the rest of the Main Stream Media. Newt’s Super PAC has been slandering Gov. Mitt Romney for weeks now while the networks have turned a blind eye and had no problem running those ads, but now that Mitt’s momentum is back on the rise, the media is getting nervous.

Brokaw, whose statement noted he was speaking on his behalf, said, “I am extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad. I do no want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign.”

“The NBC Legal Department has written a letter to the campaign asking for the removal of all NBC News material from their campaign ads,” NBC News said in a statement.

The laughable assertion that Tom Brokaw’s role as a journalist hasn’t already been compromised aside, ads like this have been used in campaign after campaign without a complaint because they fall under Fair Use. Just in case the ad is pulled off Youtube, I’ve uploaded it to another channel so you can see the ad Newt Gingrich and the MSM don’t want you to see.

I feel like I’m beating a dead horse, but it’s astounding how many people still don’t know that Mitt Romney is the candidate President Obama fears. A recent study has illustrated this point with the headline “TV News Bashes Romney, Boosts Horse Race”

Mitt Romney was the only major candidate to receive a majority of negative evaluations by sources and reporters, on both the broadcast network nightly news and FOX “Special Report.” … On the broadcast networks, evaluative comments of Romney were 78% negative vs. only 22% positive. By contrast, on-air judgments of Ron Paul were 73% positive vs. 27% negative, evaluations of Jon Huntsman were 71% positive vs. 29% negative, Rick Santorum’s evaluations were 56% positive vs. 44% negative, and comments about Newt Gingrich were 52% positive vs. 48% negative.

While much of the media actively assists in the re-election of President Obama, others care only for their ratings which necessitates a competitive republican primary. Those media organizations deceive their audience as much as the others and are doing the country just as big of a disservice. I’m sure these media company executives and DNC members are giddy every time Newt or his Super PAC lob another nefarious accusation at Gov. Romney. It’s unfortunate that we live in the media world we do, but I’m grateful more than ever for the opportunity to share the truth and for people to find the truth at places like this blog, the Drudge Report, and others. We’d be captive to media bias without them. Twenty years ago, without the internet, Gov. Romney might have been doomed, but the truth is on our side. 2012 is when we take our country back!

Actor John Voight, joined Mitt Romney at a rally held at the Fish House in Pensacola, Florida and gave his endorsement of Mitt Romney:

Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight threw his support behind Mitt Romney today, telling a crowd of hundreds at a local restaurant that Newt Gingrich “falls short” of having the characteristics needed to run the White House.

“Governor Romney is a man of faith, honor, love, and truth,” said Voight. “These are the first very important qualities a president must have. He is strong, honest, and wants to bring the country back to its exceptional place, where we have been for hundreds and hundreds of years, until President Obama decided to follow his father’s footsteps and take us to socialism.”

“I’m sorry to say Speaker Gingrich may fall short in many ways,” said Voight. “Please join me to bring in Gov. Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States.”

I’ve been seeing a lot of tweets and facebook posts of people who were there and you can tell they were surprised and thrilled to see an actor show up at a rally for Mitt Romney. What’s really cool is that Jon Voight took the time to take pictures with many of the people who were in attendance at that rally. Obviously, they were even more excited to hear him give his endorsement for Mitt.

From the beginning, our campaign was organized in a way that would allow us to compete in every state across the nation — not just the early primaries and caucuses. Our message is one that appeals to all Americans, and our candidate has the discipline and endurance to work hard until the very last vote is cast.

But to make it all happen, we rely on the generous donations of our grassroots supporters.

Did you know that when you contribute $10 you are effectively supplying the campaign with 30 door hangers? What about a $100 donation? That’s enough to cover the cost of 250 mail pieces.

When you donate to Mitt’s campaign, you’re donating with a purpose.

Florida votes in just three days. Here are several ways you can immediately help our ground team in their effort to mobilize voters:

• Donate $10 to cover the cost of 30 door hangers, which help voters learn about Mitt’s stance on the issues.

• Donate $25 to cover the cost of 30 yard signs, which will be placed in front of homes and businesses in Tampa

• Donate $50 to help cover the cost of hosting a tele-town hall with Mitt and Florida voters.

• Donate $100 to help cover the cost of 250 mailers that remind Florida voters to return their absentee ballot.

• Donate $250 to help fuel Mitt’s campaign bus as he travels across Florida.

• Donate $500 to help cover airfare for Mitt and Ann to campaign around Florida.

In my opinion the VERY BEST article of the last 10 days, that best articulates why Newt Gingrich cannot be President of the United States, is by Dr. Jerry L. Walls. Rather than take up a lot of real estate here with his quotes, I highly recommend you set aside five minutes and click here to read this OUTSTANDING editorial:

Living in Orange County, CA (large Republican base), we have two major newspapers to choose from. The Orange County Register and The Los Angeles Times. The LA Times clearly has better overall journalism, though it definitely leans left.

This article in today’s Times, by David Horsey, came as a tip from one of MRC’s chatters whose call sign I missed. Thank you!

Some of the better quotes include,

Gingrich is not well-liked by many of the people he worked with in Congress. In fact, loathing may better characterize their feelings.

Now tell me, have you seen a better political cartoon than this one? SERIOUSLY!

By David Horsey / Los Angeles Times

Today, while at a business luncheon in Laguna Beach, I overheard four gentlemen involved in a lively political discussion while I too was so engaged. I heard one guy say, “You should have seen it last night! Romney was just pounding that snake Gingrich! It was beautiful!” My colleague and I smiled and continued our discussion of Gov. Romney while we enjoyed the ocean view on a spectacular day.

Horsey continues,

Ron Bonjean, a long-time aide to the Republican leadership, told CNN that folks on Capitol Hill are very nervous about Gingrich’s candidacy. “It sends a shiver down a lot of Republican spines,” Bonjean said. “You can actually feel the nervousness from Republicans around town that Gingrich could actually bring the craziness back of his speakership from the 1990s.”

The worry ranges from first-term members to veterans who served with Gingrich as he rose to power in the 1980s and ’90s. According to a report in Politico, freshman House Republicans could talk about little else on a bus ride back from their caucus retreat in Baltimore last week. They have seen the polling data indicating Gingrich is disliked by suburban women – even conservatives — and is broadly unpopular in the Northeast.
[…]Gingrich is proud to be a man of big ideas and bold rhetoric, and it was his intelligence and combativeness that was attractive to the 40% of Republican voters in South Carolina who cast their ballots for him. But Republican officials in Washington see his big ideas and bold talk as evidence of a boundless ego and unscrupulous character.
[…]
Now, those old colleagues are aiming the tough language at him – “erratic, abrasive, undisciplined, unreliable, unhinged, unethical, mired in scandal, consummate D.C. insider.”

[emphasis added]

“Frankly, Governor Romney in his career has created more jobs than the entire Obama cabinet combined, so he could actually talk about it.” — Newt Gingrich

Ever wonder why Limbaugh, Hannity, and Levin are angry that staunch conservatives are out in force in support of the conservative principles espoused by Governor Romney while they are denouncing Gingrich? It is not just rhetoric that Gingrich is the ultimate Washington insider who is most likely to increase the size of government (his lunar colony with 13,000 Americans is only one tiny example).

Hannity, Levin, and Limbaugh are entertainers first. Their radio and television ratings go through the roof when a liberal is in office and they tank when a conservative is President. It is no surprise to this writer that these celebrities are pulling for the guy with all the dirty laundry. Am I implying or stating outright that these guys want Obama for another four years? No, I am not. But clearly their media “value” is much higher with Obama as President — there is no question about that. So, for me anyway, there is no surprise here (though Hannity is clearly toeing the Murdock line as his lackey for Gingrich).

If I asked the question — “Which of all the modern presidents is the favorite of Mr. Gingrich?” — what would you say? Reagan, right? WRONG.

Let Mr. Gingrich tell you directly:

Don’t get me wrong. I consider FDR a hero for the way he took it to America’s enemies in World War II — no question about it. But he expanded the federal government in unprecedented ways that can never be reversed.

Three Gingrich quotes from this clip:

1) “In my judgment, FDR is the greatest President of the twentieth century.”

2) “The most effective President of the twentieth century.”

3) Responding to the question of which modern day President is the favorite of Gingrich, he replies, “FDR”

The important question one has to ask, when considering how a Romney or Gingrich President would govern, is which is most likely to expand the federal government? A President Gingrich or a President Romney?

Gingrich admits that his thinking is grandiose.

It is my opinion that the probability that Gingrich, as President, would reduce the size of the federal government is less than one percent.

I just can’t resist. Mitt’s performance in Jacksonville is being so widely hailed as a success I just had to update my prior post.

CNN’s Bill Bennett: Mitt is “No Shrinking Violet”

In an opinion piece, CNN’s William Bennett used as his title a line rumored to have been heard uttered by Mitt as he came off the stage in Jacksonville, that if he’s attacked, he’ll attack back, and that he’s “no shrinking violet.” Much of what Bennett says was already covered in my prior post, so I’ll let you go there to catch the rest of his message. But the drum beat is becoming clear: if the GOP is looking for someone to beat Obama, and if they believe Newt that the ability to debate Obama is key to doing so, Mitt is every bit as capable as Newt, if not more so since Newt relies much more on emotion and crowd participation while Mitt can succeed with or without both.

Politico’s Martin and Burns

In perhaps the strongest of the articles I’ve seen today, in Politico authors Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns called Newt’s debate a “no-show.” Their opening shot:

With Florida and perhaps his presidential hopes in the balance, Newt Gingrich turned in an oddly passive debate performance that left his supporters scratching their heads and illustrated his unpredictable and even whimsical style.

It served as a reminder of the essential trait of the Gingrich campaign: It is entirely dependent on the candidate’s impulse or mood…

All told, Gingrich’s performance was more a throwback to the last days of his Iowa campaign — a floundering, listless, message-free affair — than an extension of his Palmetto State victory tour.

One unaligned commentator viewed this as evidence of Gingrich’s overall lack of discipline:

His somnolent showing left other November-minded Republicans with a mix of shock that the famously hard-charging politician would go soft at such a high-stakes moment and relief that he may not be able to capitalize on his South Carolina win.

“Speaker Gingrich showed everyone tonight that he does not have the discipline to run a presidential campaign,” said unaligned GOP strategist Curt Anderson. “He clearly came into this debate with no plan and no strategy to win it. If he had won this debate tonight, he would have won Florida, and pandemonium would have set in within the Republican Party.”

Former Sen. Fred Thompson, a recent Gingrich endorser, offered the same answer to the same question.
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him,” said Thompson….”

Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond was more succinct when pressed about why Gingrich didn’t reprise his aggressive performance from last week.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Meanwhile others, not just Romney supporters, pointed out this is evidence of Newt’s inconsistency. How could he lead the party if he performed as poorly against Obama?

“He looked deflated to me,” crowed Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom. “He’s an erratic personality. He bounces around from pillar to post. I think over the last 24 hours he’s become more and more unhinged.”

“Newt’s campaign has lived and died by debates and the adoration of a casino billionaire,” said Nick Ryan, who heads a pro-Rick Santorum super PAC. “When Newt has an easy moderator as a foil, he can attack the media and win. When Newt has to defend his own record or ability to articulate a conservative message, he loses, even to Romney. Tonight both Santorum and Romney took Newt to task, and he looked like the wounded and flawed candidate that Iowa voters saw. It makes one wonder if Juan Williams and John King had more effect on South Carolina voters than any ad or any campaign.”

Floridians should notice: if job one is to defeat Obama, the polls continue to show Mitt performing best against him. And Newt’s only argument, that he can debate Obama, has been completely deflated.